Paphos blood drive garners massive support

One of the largest blood donation drives in Cyprus took place today, under the auspices of the First Lady, Philipa Karsera Christodoulides, at the Paphos Blood Centre, located on Vasileos Konstantinou Street.

This effort, supported by over 108 organisations, associations, universities, companies, and more than 500 volunteer donors, was organised as a response to the urgent call by the Paphos Blood Bank to address blood shortages and support those in need.

Organised by PafosPress, this collective action coincides with November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, highlighting the drive’s social and humanitarian significance.

As part of the event, the Karaiskakio Foundation also conducted bone marrow donor registrations for volunteers aged 18-45.

Additionally, informative videos addressing Family Violence Prevention were shown during the event, aligning with state services’ collaborative efforts.

Environment Commissioner Maria Panayiotou, representing the First Lady, hailed the initiative, emphasising its multi-faceted nature and its critical aim to help the community, expressing hope that it becomes a permanent fixture.

The event organiser and owner of PafosPress, Marios Ignatiou, lauded the drive’s success in uniting various entities, outlining plans to extend this collaborative model to other community-oriented endeavours like beach cleanups and reforestation projects, aiming to benefit society and the environment.

In parallel, various volunteer initiatives were planned in recent days, including toy collections for Christmas and informative sessions by Movember Cyprus for awareness campaigns, further enhancing the event’s positive impact on the community.

The Cyprus Blood Centre’s medical staff expressed gratitude for the community’s overwhelming support, stressing the event’s significance in establishing a sustainable platform for blood donations.

Notably, Pambos Pittokopitis from the Cyprus Farmers Union praised Pafos Press for their pioneering initiative, urging individuals to dedicate five minutes of their time to blood donation, potentially saving lives.